National Fetish Day: These are the top kinks in British bedrooms

Laura is a hugely experienced Theatre Musician and draws all of her fixing experience from her work in Musical Theatre. She currently is the French Horn Chairholder on the UK and Ireland tour of Cameron Mackintosh/ Disney’s production of Mary Poppins. Laura frequently deputises on other shows and still finds time to freelance with many of the UK’s top professional orchestras, many of which she has recorded, toured, played at the Proms and trialled for jobs with.

I think that there are still some taboos for people, but I don’t think it’s just because they’re British. And actually I think there’s quite an underworld of naughtiness in the UK. We do like things to be a little bit naughty and there’s something a little bit naughty about buying panties and knickers, worn knickers. I don’t know if everybody knows that, but here we call them knickers. I think there’s a couple of differences between the US and the UK, and other parts of the world actually. Apart from the fact that we call them knickers, I would say that when you get a message from a buyer in the UK they tend to be very polite.

I’m a middle-aged sex worker, my wrinkles have paid for eight houses

The presence of two talented young actors playing Young Charlie (Leo Hollingsworth) and Young Lola (Sekhani Dumezweni) adds to the emotional impact. From the moment Johannes Radebe walks on stage as Lola, it is hard to focus one’s attention anywhere else, such is his magnetic charm. Fans of BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing (where Radebe shot to fame) hoping to witness some sparkling choreography are not disappointed. Radebe has a pleasant singing voice, but it is his immense presence and command of the stage which are most exhilarating for the audience.

Foot fetish

While sadism refers to inflicting pain and suffering to someone else for sexual gain, masochism is when you get sexual pleasure from your own pain, humiliation or suffering. Some people are into wax play because it feels like dancing with danger, others are into it because the heat of the wax feels erotic when juxtaposed to the cool air of the bedroom. “There are so many ways to incorporate feet into your sex life,” Frye-Nekrasova says. Some people like to give a footjob, which is essentially a handjob with your feet, she says. “Meanwhile, other people enjoy the sensation of having their toes sucked, or sucking,” she says.

He effortlessly transitions from unapologetic high camp to heartbreaking tenderness. With his personal life in disarray, Charlie meets Lola, a drag queen whose unique style could be the key to saving his business. Directed by Nikolai Foster, the show tells the story of Charlie Price, who inherits his family’s struggling shoe factory.

This might look like adults pretending to be babies or toddlers. Probably one of the most well known fetishes and is part of mainstream practice. Role play involves acting out fantasies or roles that are considered sexy to participants. Similar to the above, this is when you get sexual pleasure from being embarrassed and belittled, but it doesn’t always involve pain or violence, and can be verbal. CNC was the topic of a previous episode of SmutDrop, which discussed setting ‘bottom lines’ with a partner and planning safe words when engaging in the fetish. On this week’s episode of our sex positive podcast, Smut Drop, presenter Miranda Kane speaks with sex worker, SkullCandy Bri, who specialises in exploring extreme kinks.

“Hentai refers to a specific type of Japanese illustration that often depicts overtly sexual scenes and scenarios,” Deysach says. Some people are turned on by servicing feet, Frye-Nekrasova says, which can be accomplished with a foot massage or at-home pedicure, for instance. Other people are turned on by the idea of doing something “dirty” —  feet, after all, are usually the part of the body that touches the ground and dirt beneath. Erotic asphyxiation, AKA breath play, is the act of controlling how much access you have to oxygen for the sake of power, play, and pleasure. CBT may also involve the use of cock cages, urethral sounding, genital flogging, and more, and she says. Bondage can involve anything from ropes and ribbons to zip-ties and saran wrap, and it may appeal to folks for a variety of reasons.

“The thrill of watching your lover have sex with another person is something that folks across the gender spectrum can find exciting and kinky,” Deysach says. At its most distilled, “an individual interested in bondage when they are interested in being restrained or restricted, or restraining or restricting their partner,” says Lisa Finn, a sex educator with sex-toy emporium Babeland. “It’s important to note that an age gap kink involves consenting adults (not children) pretending to be younger than they really are,” Deysach says. “A kink is a sexual interest that is outside of the ordinary,” says certified sex educator Javay Frye-Nekrasova, founder of The Millennial Sexpert and educator with Lovehoney. As any pleasure-seeker or social scroller knows, a kink isn’t just a knot in your neck.

In a chance meeting with kinkie.co.uk ‘Lola’ (Radebe), they come up with an idea that might just save the business. It’s obviously not just knickers, there’s other items of underwear that people buy, lots of shoes, lots of socks. In fact, I would say the sock business is something that does really well in the UK.

UK & Ireland Tour 2025

After inheriting his family’s failing shoe factory and with a relationship on the rocks, life is proving to be very challenging for Charlie Price. That is until he meets Lola, a drag queen whose sparkle and unsteady heels might just hold the answer to saving the struggling business. This one may be a bit more familiar with folks – it involves watching your partner have sex or be sexual with someone else.

The M in BDSM and the complement to sadism, “masochism is the act of erotic enjoyment in experiencing pain, humiliation, or intense sensation, ” Finn says. So generally, tickling is considered a more “playful” kink, though it can be very intense. Folks with this fetish are turned on by the sensation of being tickled by anything from human fingers and feathers, to vibrators or electrical stimulation toys. For some people, for instance, a light smack on the bum while riding their partner’s dick or dildo is adequate. Meanwhile, someone else might want to be smacked with a paddle hard enough that it leaves marks.